The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given the green light for the development of India's Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV), marking a significant milestone in the country's space exploration ambitions.

This advanced rocket system is designed to support India's vision of establishing and operating the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (Indian Space Station) and achieving a crewed lunar landing by 2040.

The NGLV represents a major leap in India's launch capabilities, boasting a payload capacity three times that of the current LVM3 rocket while only increasing costs by 50%.

Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman S Somanath said on Wednesday that the ISRO is planning to launch the first module of Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS-1) by 2028.

Addressing reporters in the National Capital, S Somnath said, "Chandrayaaan 4 mission is primarily targeted to demonstrate the technology to go to the moon and then come back. The coming back is a highlight of it, landing there has already been demonstrated by Chandrayaan-3. If you have to send a man to space later in 2040, a vision by our PM, we need to have confidence in technology..."

He added, "For the Indian Space Station, yes, there is a timeline for that - the goal given by the Prime Minister is 2035. Our plan here is to launch the first module of Bharatiya Antariksh Station called BAS-1 by 2028..."

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the continuation of schemes of Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanraksHan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) to provide remunerative prices to farmers and to control price volatility of essential commodities for consumers.

According to an official release, the total financial outgo will be Rs 35,000 crore during the 15th Finance Commission cycle up to 2025-26.

The Government has converged the Price Support Scheme (PSS) & Price Stabilization Fund (PSF) schemes in PM AASHA to serve the farmers and consumers more efficiently. The Integrated scheme of PM-AASHA will bring-in more effectiveness in the implementation which would not only help in providing remunerative prices to the farmers for their produce but also control the price volatility of essential commodities by ensuring their availability at affordable prices to consumers. PM-AASHA will now have the components of Price Support scheme (PSS) ,Price Stabilization Fund (PSF) , Price Deficit Payment Scheme (POPS) and Market Intervention Scheme (MIS).

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the Biotechnology Research Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development (Bio-RIDE) scheme to support cutting-edge research and development in biotechnology.

Bio-RIDE combines two existing schemes -- Biotechnology Research and Development (R&D) and Industrial and Entrepreneurship Development (I&ED) -- with a new component, 'Bio-manufacturing and Bio-foundry', an official statement said.

The proposed outlay for the implementation of the unified scheme Bio-RIDE is Rs 9,197 crore during the 15th Finance Commission period from 2021-22 to 2025-26.

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the continuation of the Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) scheme, allocating Rs. 35,000 crore for the 15th Finance Commission Cycle up to 2025-26. This significant decision aims to ensure remunerative prices for farmers and manage price volatility of essential commodities for consumers.

The PM-AASHA scheme consolidates the Price Support Scheme (PSS) and Price Stabilization Fund (PSF) into a unified program to enhance its effectiveness. The integrated scheme will now include the Price Support Scheme (PSS), Price Stabilization Fund (PSF), Price Deficit Payment Scheme (PDPS), and Market Intervention Scheme (MIS). These components are designed to provide better support for farmers and stabilize prices for consumers.

Starting from the 2024-25 season, the procurement of notified pulses, oilseeds, and copra at Minimum Support Price (MSP) will cover 25% of national production. This change aims to increase the amount of these crops procured at MSP, reducing the risk of distress sales. Notably, the procurement ceiling will not apply to Tur, Urad, and Masur for the 2024-25 season, as the government plans a 100% procurement of these pulses.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said on Sept 15 that Cambodia’s famed religious and archaeological site Angkor Wat has been named the most photogenic Unesco World Heritage site in Asia by Times Travel.

The prime minister announced this in a text posted on his official Telegram channel, with a list by Times Travel of the Times of India newspaper of the 10 most photogenic Unesco World Heritage Sites in Asia.

Other world heritage sites on the list included India’s mausoleum Taj Mahal; Hampi, the capital of the ancient Vijayanagara Empire; the Great Wall of China in Beijing; Myanmar’s ancient city of Bagan; Indonesia’s Buddhist temple Borobudur; Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay; the historic monuments of Kyoto, Japan; Jordan’s historic and archaeological site Petra; and the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras.

The award recognizes BHEL's outstanding performance in implementing the Official Language. BHEL's Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) K Sadashiv Murthy received the award from the Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, during the Hindi Diwas and 4th All India Official Language Conference held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.

The Rajbhasha Kirti Puraskar is the highest national award for excellence in Official Language implementation. BHEL has been recognized for its efforts in promoting and using Hindi across its operations.

A two-day national symposium of the National Disaster Management Authority and the Army Southern Command entitled Exercise AIKYA will begin in Chennai tomorrow. The primary aim of the exercise is to enhance disaster preparedness and foster robust collaboration among key stakeholders. The exercise will feature simulations, technology discussions and expert insights into various roles of disaster management.

Representatives from Railways, transport, civil aviation, health, environment and climate change departments State and National disaster management authorities and the Indian army will be present. IMD officials, National Remote sensing centres, the Central Water Commission and the Forest Survey of India will also participate in the symposium. Contemporary issues like tsunamis, landslides, floods, forest fires cyclones and recent disasters will be reviewed and ways to prevent such a challenging situation will be discussed. The symposium will also have a knowledge exchange, capacity building and strategic planning on Exercise Aikya.

Governor R.N. Ravi on Saturday said a narrative was built in Tamil Nadu that Sri Rama was a ‘north Indian’ God, and the people of the State did not know the God when preparations were under way for pranpratishta at the Ayodhya Ram temple. However, he said, there is hardly a place in the State where Sri Rama’s footprints cannot be found.

Speaking at the launch of the book, Sri Rama in Tamilagam: An Inseparable Bond, authored by D.K. Hari and D.K. Hema Hari, at the Raj Bhavan, Mr. Ravi further said Bharath could not exist without sanatana dharma.

He contended that young people in Tamil Nadu were being deprived of their cultural and spiritual heritage.

Brijendra Pratap Singh is set to be next Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) of National Aluminium Corporation (NALCO), a PSU under the Ministry of Mines. He has been recommended for the post by the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) panel on Tuesday. Presently, he is serving as Director in-charge of SAIL's Burnpur and Durgapur Steel Plants.

Singh has been recommended for the post of CMD of NALCO from a list of six candidates, who were interviewed by the PESB selection panel in its selection meeting held on September 17. Out of six candidates, two candidates were from SAIL and one each from NLC India Limited, RailTel, NALCO and Indian Revenue Service.